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What VMware App Volumes Does and Why It Matters Post-Broadcom
VMware App Volumes is an application delivery platform that separates applications from the base operating system image in virtualised and VDI environments. Rather than embedding applications in the golden image, App Volumes attaches AppStacks (containers of application files, registry settings, and runtime dependencies) to virtual desktops at login, removing them at logoff. This model enables:
- Single-instance application deployment to thousands of desktops without image proliferation
- Near-instant application delivery (sub-second AppStack mount vs. minutes for traditional deployment)
- Writeable volumes for user-installed applications and persistent user data across non-persistent VDI sessions
- Granular application assignment — delivering different AppStack combinations to different user groups from a single base image
These capabilities are deeply integrated into VDI environments running VMware Horizon. The Horizon + App Volumes + DEM combination is the standard production configuration for most organisations running VMware VDI at scale. This is exactly why Broadcom's bundling strategy creates immediate cost exposure for App Volumes customers.
The Broadcom EUC Bundling Mechanism
Post-acquisition, Broadcom has restructured the EUC product catalogue. Horizon, App Volumes, and DEM are no longer available as independently renewed perpetual licences with SnS. New licensing requires Workspace ONE Standard, Advanced, or Enterprise subscriptions — all of which bundle capabilities most organisations do not use (Unified Endpoint Management, mobile device management, identity services) alongside the VDI stack they actually need.
The commercial impact: an organisation paying £180,000/year for Horizon Advanced + App Volumes Advanced SnS faces a renewal at £360,000–£720,000/year for the equivalent Workspace ONE tier — without gaining any functional benefit from the bundled components they are being forced to pay for.
Perpetual Licence Rights: What Broadcom Cannot Take Away
If your organisation purchased VMware App Volumes and Horizon perpetual licences before the Broadcom acquisition, those licences remain valid. Broadcom cannot revoke perpetual licence rights. What Broadcom can do is refuse to renew SnS on those perpetual licences — which is where third-party support provides the solution. TPS replaces SnS at 60–65% below current cost, maintaining your legitimate perpetual licence rights without requiring you to enter Broadcom's subscription model.
App Volumes Version Matrix
| App Volumes Version | Compatible Horizon | VMware EOS | TPS Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Volumes 2.x | Horizon 7.x | Technical Guidance only | ✓ Full TPS |
| App Volumes 4.0 / 4.1 | Horizon 7.x / 8.x | General Support end Mar 2024 | ✓ Full TPS |
| App Volumes 4.2 / 4.3 | Horizon 8.x (2103–2111) | Extended Support | ✓ Full TPS |
| App Volumes 4.4 / 4.5 | Horizon 8.x (2206+) | Active | ✓ TPS available (pre-EOS saving) |
| App Volumes 4 (2312+) | Horizon 8 (2312+) | Active | ✓ TPS available |
TPS Coverage for VMware App Volumes
GoVendorFree VMware TPS for App Volumes environments covers the complete operational scope of the product and its integration with the Horizon platform:
- App Volumes Manager — management console issues, AppStack assignment failures, provisioning machine errors, LDAP/AD group assignment problems
- AppStack management — AppStack capture issues, application conflict troubleshooting, AppStack corruption repair, package optimisation guidance
- Writeable Volumes — writeable volume assignment, profile container issues, size management, and merge/sync operations
- Agent layer (App Volumes Agent) — agent installation failures, version compatibility with base OS updates, attachment errors on login
- Storage integration — datastore connectivity (NFS, VMFS, vSAN), storage performance issues affecting AppStack mount times
- Horizon integration — Horizon Connection Server + App Volumes Manager API integration, entitlement synchronisation
- DEM (Dynamic Environment Manager) — where deployed alongside App Volumes, DEM configuration, FlexEngine agent issues, and user environment policy troubleshooting
- Security patches — CVE patches applicable to App Volumes Manager and agent components, backported to your current version
TPS Cost Model — EUC Environment Profiles
App Volumes costs are typically bundled with Horizon SnS in renewal negotiations. The following profiles model total EUC stack TPS savings (Horizon + App Volumes + DEM where deployed) versus the Broadcom renewal cost.
| Profile | Environment | Broadcom SnS/yr | TPS/yr | Annual Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-market VDI (500 users) | Horizon + App Volumes + DEM, 500 CCU | £85,000 | £31,450 | £53,550 (63%) |
| Enterprise VDI (2,000 users) | Horizon Advanced + App Volumes + DEM, 2,000 CCU | £310,000 | £108,500 | £201,500 (65%) |
| Large enterprise (5,000 users) | Horizon Enterprise + App Volumes + DEM + UAG | £720,000 | £252,000 | £468,000 (65%) |
| Workspace ONE bundle pressure | Organisation facing Broadcom WS ONE mandate renewal | £1,440,000 | £504,000 | £936,000 (65%) |
For organisations facing the Workspace ONE bundle mandate (row 4 above), TPS on the existing perpetual licences is typically 2–3× cheaper than the Broadcom subscription renewal. The saving calculation must also account for the value of the unused Workspace ONE UEM, identity, and mobile management capabilities being bundled into the Broadcom renewal — components most VDI-focused organisations will never use.
Facing a Broadcom EUC Renewal?
Before you sign a Workspace ONE subscription, get a TPS cost comparison. Most organisations save 60–65% and keep their existing App Volumes + Horizon environment running without any operational change.
Get Your EUC Assessment VMware Exit Strategy GuideThe Workspace ONE Alternative Analysis
Broadcom's commercial pressure is designed to capture organisations in a multi-year Workspace ONE subscription before alternatives are evaluated. The framing is "Workspace ONE includes everything you have now plus more." What this conceals:
You cannot buy App Volumes standalone anymore (for new purchases). If you are renewing existing perpetual App Volumes SnS, Broadcom's commercial team will redirect you toward Workspace ONE. TPS breaks this dependency — your existing perpetual licences remain valid, and TPS replaces SnS without any requirement to engage Broadcom's new commercial structure.
Workspace ONE UEM replaces Intune or SCCM you already have. Most enterprise organisations renewing App Volumes SnS already have Microsoft Intune or SCCM for endpoint management. Workspace ONE UEM duplicates this capability at additional cost. TPS avoids paying for duplication.
Workspace ONE subscription pricing is usage-based, not perpetual. Once you enter the Workspace ONE subscription, you lose the perpetual licence protection. Broadcom can increase subscription prices at renewal. TPS maintains your perpetual licence foundation and eliminates the price escalation risk.
Industry Angles
Financial Services: Trading floors, branch networks, and regulatory compliance workloads using App Volumes for application layering in Horizon environments face acute Broadcom renewal pressure. The combination of Horizon + App Volumes + DEM for regulated workloads (MiFID II workstation recording, FCA-compliant desktop environments) creates significant switching costs that Broadcom exploits. TPS preserves the compliant, stable environment at fraction of the renewal cost.
Healthcare (NHS and Private): App Volumes in clinical desktop environments — delivering clinical applications to ward-based and community-based clinicians via Horizon — is a common deployment pattern. DSPT compliance requires that the software stack is maintained with security patches. TPS provides CVE-level patching for App Volumes without requiring the infrastructure investment of a Workspace ONE migration.
Public Sector: Local authorities and central government departments running Horizon + App Volumes environments are subject to NCSC guidance on patch management and software lifecycle. TPS satisfies NCSC baseline security requirements while dramatically reducing the EUC support budget — relevant context for IT teams operating under multi-year budget constraints.
Transition to TPS
Transitioning a VMware App Volumes environment to TPS follows the same process as the broader Horizon TPS engagement — typically completing in 3–4 weeks:
- Licence inventory: Confirm App Volumes perpetual licence SKUs, version in production, and CCU/named user count
- Environment documentation: App Volumes Manager topology, datastore configuration, AppStack library inventory, and Writeable Volumes deployment scope
- Broadcom SnS termination: No minimum notice period required for App Volumes SnS termination (unlike Oracle's 30-day rule); TPS contract should be signed before termination notice
- Knowledge transfer: Known issues, open support tickets with Broadcom (document open items before termination), and any custom configurations transferred to TPS team
- SLA activation: 15-minute response SLA live from Broadcom SnS termination date